Criminal Minds- Aftermath
by InaraXavier
Summary: Set a few days from the end of previous book, Find Me
1. Chapter 1

_Previously on criminal minds_

" _You're incapable of love, Cabe. It's who you are" in the distance_

 _Hotch's voice echoed through the building_

" _ELENA!" Elena looked towards the door but then had an unbearable pain surge through her stomach. looking down and she saw a large dagger going through her stomach and out of my back._

" _I need you to do something for me"_

" _What"_

" _There's something in my desk addressed to Reid. Give it to him, be there for him"_

" _No, Elena! Come on, stay with me… If you can hear me, please just squeeze my hand" Trying as best she could she gave Hotch's hand a gently squeeze_

" _Yes, there you go. There you go. Just keep squeezing… where the hell are my Medics"_

 _The team waited and waited and waited until Hotch came into the waiting room. The team got up and started asking questions but he didn't answer, instead he slowly made his way towards Reid with tears in his eyes. Knowing what he was going to say Reid felt his heart break into a million pieces. lip quivering and a tear escaped_

" _No" Hotch took a deep breath before saying_

" _She never made it off the table" the others started to cry when Reid's legs gave out. Hotch grabbed him and just held him as he cried_

" _Spencer, I am so sorry"_

" _No she can't be gone, not again. Please not again"_

 _A female nurse wearing Purple scrubs walked in with a chart in her hand. He eyes lit up as she saw her patient awake_

" _Nice to see you alive Agent Miller_ "

"Where am I, Please?" Elena cried out, for the hundredth time. She had been trapped in the bed for days and no one would tell her what was going on, no one had spoken to her unless asking her if she was in any pain.

"Please" Elena Whimpered as she relaxed back into the bed, her body limp and incredibly sore.

Shutting her eyes, Elena tried to block everything out but as soon as her eyes closed, all she could see was Reid.

"Elena" a familiar voice calls out shaking her from her thoughts

"Hmm" she mumbled opening her eyes. The first thing her eyes landed on was Aaron Hotchner who was standing beside her bed, the sight of her boss made her smile

"Hey Hotch" you could hear the excitement in her voice.

"How are you feeling?" Hotch asked sounding as serious as ever. Elena gave him a weak thumbs up before the room fell into silence. Hotch looked at Elena before saying

"I'm so sorry Elena"

"For what Hotch?"

"I should have had someone with you at all times, then you wouldn't have been able to sneak off. You're here because of me"

"It's okay Hotch, I'm really hot headed and stubborn you couldn't change my mind" Elena held his hand for reassurance.

After a moment Elena said

"How's Reid?"

"He could be better"

"Can I see him?" Hotch shook his head before admitting

"Elena, everyone thinks you're dead" confusion swept over her as she said

"What's going on Hotch" after getting no response she called

"Hotch" Hotch looked down before saying

"I had no choice. They're still out there and they will try this again. I had to do it I had to protect you" Elena soon cottoned on to what he was saying

"Where am I going?"

"I don't know, it's the better that way. You will be put into the program, and given a handler. He will arrange for you to be relocated and set you up with a new identity. You will stay in the program until we can assure that we have everyone working with and for Cabe" Elena stopped and the room fell silent again. After a minute Hotch said

"I should go" he turned and started walking out of the room only to be stopped when Elena called

"Hotch wait" Hotch turned and said

"I'll keep an eye on Reid. Make sure he's safe"

"thank you"

"I'll see you soon, Elena"

"I'll see you soon, Aaron" Hotch then turned around and left the room, he left Elena alone in the white private hospital room.

1 week later

Reids P. O.V

I haven't brought myself to go back to the flat after what happened, so I've been staying with Morgan. I haven't been able to sleep since that day and all I want is for this pain to stop. Today is the day I've been dreading, today is Elena's funeral. Currently I'm sat on the edge of the bed, wearing a black suit. I couldn't

stop my mind from wandering.

"Reid" I was snapped out of my thoughts when Morgan knocked on my door. I wiped my eyes and got up. I walked towards the mirror, grabbed my tie and said

"Yeah" seconds later the door opened and he walked in. His face had sorrow and sadness written all over it. He came up behind me and said

"The others are here" I tied my tie before saying

"I'll be down in a sec" he looked at me for a moment before saying

"Come on, Kid. Talk to me"

"I'm fine Morgan"

"Okay, if you're fine then I'm more worried" I let my tie go and said

"I never got to ask her"

"Ask her what?"

"I was going to ask her to move in with me"

"Oh man, when were you going to…"

"We were going to go out for dinner but then everything happened" he placed hand on my shoulder and said

"Why didn't you say anything" I just shrugged and felt a tear fall down my face. Without hesitating he pulled me into a brotherly hug.

"I miss her so much"

"I know you do, Kid. I know"

"Derek, I barely survived the last I lost her. I don't know if I can do that again" he pulled out of the hug, kept both hands on my shoulders and said

"Hey listen to me, I know what you went through last time but it made you stronger. You are one of the strongest people I know and I know you'll get through this. We are all here for you, okay. If you ever start craving again, we're only a phone call away"


	2. Chapter 2

3 weeks after the funeral

Hotch's P.O.V

I managed to get the a few weeks off to adjust to Elena's 'death'. Speaking off Elena i've heard from Jenson Jones, Elenas handler, she's successfully entered the program and has been relocated. Anyway today is the day that everyone comes back to work and it's procedure to have a assessment meeting to check how everyone is dong. Usually chief Agent Strauss does these assessments but i was never going to let that happen. Upon arriving to work i told the team that i wanted to see them one by one starting with Derek.

I was sat on a chair near the couch, where Derek was sat. he leant back in the chair and said

"So I came in here to do what? Talk about losing Elena? Strauss put you up to this?" I replied

"The assessment's routine. I asked her to let me do it, rather than bring in somebody from the outside"  
"So let me guess.It's about the 5 stages of grief. You want to figure out where we all are"  
"Hmm?"

"All right. Denial. I'm fine, this can't be happening to me. Well, it didn't happen to me, did it? So that rules that out. What else is there? Bargaining. Depression. Acceptance. Well, obviously, I haven't accepted it, otherwise I wouldn't be in here.So where does that leave me?"

"Angry.  
"Angry.Yeah. Yeah, sometimes I feel like I want to quit my job And spend my time chasing down the son of a bitch who killed Elena because we just got her back. You're damn right I'm angry"

He paused for a moment before continuing

"If we had just gotten there a little sooner Elena, might still be with us."  
"Derek, you know that we did everything we could."  
"Yeah, yeah, I know. we did everything we could. What, that's supposed to make me feel better?"

"You worked together for years. Don't expect this to go away anytime soon."  
"This what? This what? This guilt? She had just come back, Hotch"  
"I know, we all wish we had that kind of control"  
"So what do we do, we just chalk it up to fate? What, I can't blame anybody? What, this is the will of God? No. I do blame somebody. I blame Cabe. Hotch, what am I supposed to do? She was my friend. I lost one of my best friends and I'm supposed to go on like nothing happened? You know, we, um We come in here and we talk to you.Where do you go? Where are you with all of this?"

"The same place as you. Wishing she was here"

Next was Garcia. She was anxious from the moment she stepped foot into my office. She sat in the middle of the couch but before i could say anything she spoke

" I get it. We're a family, and it's important that families talk, and holding it in will just make this sick, sad feeling of awfulness more awful. Right?"

"Internalizing does make it worse."  
I'll talk, but I don't want to talk about her being gone. Can I talk about how she made me smile?"

"Of course"  
"Okay...I remember when i first started working here, no one took me seriously because of the way i looked. But then i met Elena and everyone took her seriously i wondered how managed it. She was the youngest person here so i went and asked her. I'll never forget what she said to me. 'People are gonna tell you who you are your whole life. You just gotta punch back and say 'no this is who i am' you want people to look at you differently? Make them. You wanna change things, you're gonna have to go out there and change them yourself. Because there are no fairy godmothers in this world'. From that day on i don't hide who i am, she showed how to be me. She's my best friend and i don't know if i can do this without her again.."

I spoke with Garcia for about an hour before it was JJs turn. I know that JJ was just as close to Elena as Garcia. So this would be hard.  
"JJ, how are you doing?"

"I'm coping"

"I see you've been working overtime"

"It helps me cope because in the end, when you lose somebody, every candle, every prayer is not going to make up for the fact that the only thing you have left is a hole in your life where that somebody that you cared about used to be"...

JJ didn't want to talk much after that so i let her get back to work. Next up was emily and she seemed to be coping better than everyone else. Maybe that's because she doesn't know her as well. When Emily sat on the couch she spoke before i got a chance

"Some people need dozens of friends to say 'hey, look at me, i'm popular' but not me. I'm kinda picky. I only really need a hand full of friends. When you meet those special people, you just know. Because a real friendship, it… it can't be forced. It should just come about effortlessly… i didn't realise that until i came here you guys accepted me into your family almost immediately and then Kol happened, and this team nearly fell apart. We just got her back Hotch, i don't if w…" i knew what she was going to say so i said

"We survived this before, we can do it again"

I agreed to see Rossi after hours when the office was empty. I was seeing Reid tomorrow morning. Before we started talking he poured two glasses of whiskey and handed me one whilst saying

"There are benefits to meeting after hours" I took a sip from my drink before saying

"You know everyone's feeling it, and nobody wants to talk about it" he sighed and said

"It's too soon, Aaron. You know that better than anyone. And, uh, doesn't Strauss usually run these assessments?" I smiled and said

"There was no way that was gonna happen"

"Yeah, I didn't think so. And I also know that you grieve privately. But you've been through more than any of us in a very short time. How are you holding up?"

"I'm all right. I think it's an ongoing process...This is not my assessment. I'm supposed to be asking how you're doing." "I've always had trouble letting people in. But this is different. I guess I've come to realize I'm more married to this team than I ever was to 3 ex-wives."

"It's been a hard year"

"We'll get through it we always do"

"Yeah. We will"

When Reid sat on the couch i noticed how drained he looked. He was paler than usual, and he had large bags under his eyes. I broke the silence by saying

"Morgan mentioned that you've been staying with him since… Since"

"Um yeah. I can't go back home yet"

"Spencer…." he cut me off by saying

"The last time I was on a couch like this was when Elena was taken by Kol. Everyone thought I needed to talk, but developmentally I wasn't guided by conscience. I could only reveal what you all wanted to hear"  
"You told us exactly what you knew we wanted to hear. You don't have to do that now" a single tear fell from his eyes as he said  
"It's just unfair that she's gone. It's like if we can't keep each other safe, then why are we even doing any of this? I just Sometimes I think maybe... maybe Gideon was right, you know, maybe maybe it's just not worth it"

"Spencer l, Elena was the one person we couldn't profile. We couldn't know that was gonna do what she did. She was always set on keeping us safe and she did,even though she didn't come back"

A few more tears fell as he said

"I miss her, so much it hurts. Will this pain ever go away? I'm trying not to think about it all but no matter how hard i try to distract myself, nothing makes me feel better..." i got up and sat next to him on the couch. I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder as i said

"Eventually it'll get easier and the aching will hurt less. I promise. It's gonna take time"

"Imagining that she's with me and what she would say sometimes it's like i can almost feel her...I don't want to be done. I don't want this to be over because when this is over i have to admit that she's gone, forever. I'm not ready. I need her, i can't do this without her, i can't live without her. I can't do that again...


	3. Chapter 3

"If a person's basic state of mind is serene and calm, then it is possible for this inner peace to overwhelm a painful physical experience. On the other hand, if someone is suffering from depression, anxiety, or any form of emotional distress, then even if he or she happens to be enjoying physical comforts, he will not really be able to experience the happiness that these could bring."  
– Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama

—-

 _Name: McKenzie Barton_

 _Age: 28_

 _Hair colour: Blonde_

 _Hair Length: shoulder_

 _Eye Colour: emerald green…_

Agent Elena Miller looked down at the file in her hand familiarising each word. This is who she would have to become in just a few days time. As she sat in her hospital bed she could only truly focus on one thing; those she is leaving behind. She understands it's for the best but that doesn't mean she has to like it.

As she moved slightly in the bed her bandage wrapped wound started to ache. The pain isn't as bad as it was a few weeks ago but it's still got a long way off healing. To be honest it's a miracle she's not paralysed; the blade was only a few centimetres from cutting her spinal cord.

Aaron Hotchner has been informed that a new identity has been set up and Elena would be settling into that new identity soon. With a high possibility of her not coming back for a long time Aaron brought her some of her things. Not anything that would easily reveal her true identity; but just some things to comfort her.

The things he brought her included:

The 'Perez' case file

And a couple of pictures. One Of the team and the second was of her a Reid on their first official date.

Elena looked at the pictures and her mind wandered to the first case she had with Gideon after six months leave. The first Case with Gideon, Spencer, Hotch, Morgan, Garcia and Greenaway.

 _Elenas P.O.V_

 _Season 1- episode 1_

 _Elena's P.O.V._

 _I stood in the back of Gideon's Lecture. Looking around I was the same age as most of the students in the class, late teens- early 20s. It's hard to believe that I was in there place a couple years ago. Anyway Gideon was telling them about the footpath killer, the first case he brought me in on. He brought up images of the victims and asked the class_

" _Anyone recognize these faces?" One of the girls answered_

" _Victims of the footpath killer" Gideon then stated_

" _That's what Virginia newspapers are calling him. We refer to him as the unknown subject or unsub" he took a step forward and started to relay the profile "I told Virginia P. D... We're looking for a white male in his 20's... Who owns an american-made truck in disrepair. Works a menial job. I told 'em when you find him... Don't be surprised to hear him speak with a severe stutter…" he was cut off when another student said_

" _Not to sound skeptical, but come on... a stutter?"_

" _Where'd the murders occur?"_

" _Hiking paths"_

" _Somewhere Isolated. If I'm a killer who has to use an immediate application of overpowering force, even out in the middle of nowhere, I lack confidence. I can't charm them into my car like Ted Bundy did. I can't because I am ashamed of something"._

 _Doctor Spencer Reid then entered the room with a couple of case files in his hand. He then whispered in my ear_

" _A case just came in"_

" _Okay" I then got Gideon's attention by coughing. He looked over at us and Spencer gestured to the file. Gideon turned to the class and said_

" _Excuse me" the three of us then left the room._

 _We walked towards his office and Reid was debriefing both Gideon and I on the case_

" _They're calling him the Seattle strangler. 4 victims in 4 months. He keeps 'em alive 7 days. The handle serves as a crank. Allowing him to control the rate of suffocation" inthen asked_

" _To prolong it?" Gideon replied_

" _To enjoy it. Seattle's hit a wall?" Reid then said_

" _Physical evidence is nonexistent. There are no tangible leads. And another girl is missing. I looked the case file over. I'll get some thoughts to you asap" a new voice then entered the room_

" _All three of you are gonna be with us in Seattle asap" Agent Hotchner and Agent Morgan we're now stood at the door._

 _Hotch handed Gideon something and said_

" _22-year-old Heather Woodland. Before she left for lunch, she downloaded an email with a time-delayed virus attached. The killer's virus wiped her hard drive and left this on the screen…" Gideon looked at the page and continued_

" _"For heaven's sake, catch me before I kill more. I cannot control myself."" Agent Morgan continued_

" _He never keeps them for more than 7 days, which means we have fewer than 36 hours to find her" Hotch then said_

" _They want you back in the saddle. You ready?" Gideon looked over at Reid and I, reid then said_

" _Looks like medical leave's over, boss" Gideon questioned_

" _They sure they want me?"_

" _The order came from the director. He's been getting progress reports from Agent Miller" Gideon looked at me and I said_

" _What do you think I've been doing since we got here. You're ready for this Jason" he looked at me for a few more minutes before saying_

" _Well, we'd better get started…..._

"Agent Miller?" Elena was snapped out of her thoughts and saw a man stood at the end of her bed. The Man was in his mid - later 30s, caucasian, shoulder length, slicked back black hair, a slight sign of stubble. He was wearing an expensive suit, most likely Italian.

"Agent Miller, my name is Eric Johnston i'm with the Witness Protection Programme. There's been a change of plans" Confusion swept across Elena's face before saying

"Explain?"

"At first we planned to keep you in the country but things have escalated. You'll be moved by the end of the we…" Elena cut him off by saying

"I need to talk to SSA Aaron Hotchner"

"I'M sorry Elena…"

"No, i need to talk with him" as her heart rate increased so did the pain. Elena clutched her wounded side and soon the room was flooded with Nurses and doctors…...


	4. Chapter 4

Hotch's P. O. V

When everyone was sat around the table Garcia started to go over the case

"So this one is a little closer to home my doves" Emily looked through the file and asked first

"Serial rapist?" Garcia responded

"A case we consulted on about 8 months ago. 12 victims over 5 years. Knocks them out with a date rape drug and binds them with industrial strength glue. They wake up with no memory of the assault they are only aware of the permanent scarring left on their hands" Morgan then asked

"So he's branding his victims. How does he dose them?"

"We. still aren't ure, 'cause, you know, date rape drugs metabolize quickly, and he's keeping them for 12 hours" Rossi then asked

"So why are they calling us in now?"

"Because of these most recent attacks. This piece of work has elevated sick and twisted to a whole new dimension. Cases in point- Brittany Anderson filed a report after she woke up outside the restaurant she was abducted from, and Vanessa Campbell was just reported missing"

" Wait, those were victims 2 and 5, weren't they?"

"Yes. He's going back and attacking survivors a second time. Vanessa was grabbed from her house?" Reid then spoke

"He's changing him M. O.…" my phone then started to ring

I picked my phone up and said

"Excuse me" I got up and left the conference room. I entered my office and answered my phone

"Hotchner"

" _Aaron Hotchner, is this line secure"_

"Yes"

" _My name is Eric Johnston. I'm with Witness Protection"_

"Is everything okay?"

" _Unfortunately not, due to the information you forwarded to us regarding the Perez case. The decision was made to relocate her out of the country"_

"Why wasn't i informed?"

" _This situation is out of your hands Agent"_

"Then why are you telling me now"

" _When i told agent miller about this decision, she went into a panic attack and her wounds reopened. She was taken back into surgery and is asking for you. She won't go until she's spoken to you"_

"I'll be there as soon as i can"

" _Thank you"_

When i ended the call i saw that the team was still in the conference room and had begun work on the case. I thought about it for a moment before coming to the decision that Dave needs to know where i'll be going and cover for me. So i walked back to the conference room and said

"Dave can i speak to you for a moment?" he put the file down and replied

"Sure Aaron" he then followed me back to my office.

"Close the door" He did what i said and then i closed the blinds just to be safe.

He then asked

"What's going on?"

"I'm going to tell you something but you can't tell the others. It has to be strictly confidential, only a hand full of people know what i'm about to tell you" He sat down on the couch and said

"You can trust me, Aaron you know that" i took a breath before saying

"Elena is alive" he was quiet for a while before saying

"She's in the program, isn't she?"

"I had to keep her safe"

"And Reid has no idea"

"Cabe Perez wasn't gonna stop. He killed her mom infront of her if she stayed, Reid could have been next. I did it for both their safety" he stood up and said

"Have you seen him, Hotch. He's barely holding it together. He doesn't sleep, he refuses to go back home, when he's not at Morgan's he's here…" I cut him off by saying

"I know, Dave. If he gets worse I'll tell him but for now it's better he doesn't know"

"Why tell me now? What's happened?"

I pulled out the up to date version of the Perez case before saying

"There's been a development. There was a break in at the warehouse Elena converted. It's still being investigated but so far only one thing seems to be missing"

"What?"

"A photo album. At the moment that's it but Cabe is getting closer to her. I only just found out that the decision was made by the program to move her out of the country"

"Bet she didn't take that well"

"You'd be right. She had a panic attack"

"Elena? She never freaks out like that"

"Elena has never been great at expressing things so Gideon suggested that she write things down. I'm not sure what happened to the journals but they contain everything she never shared with us"

"Okay but that's not everything. What else is going on?"

"She reopened her wounds and went back into surgery. I need to go see her, today, Otherwise she'll…

"She'll do something Elena like. Go, I'll cover for you"

"Thank you Dave. If you need me for the case, call me"

"Will do. Aaron, tell her we miss her…

Elenas P.O.V.

Every fibre in my body is aching. The slightest movement sends shockwaves of pain through every cell, screaming at me to stay still. I still can't believe i panicked like that and stupidly reopened all my wounds.

There is now a thicker layer of bandages wrapped tightly around my torso. There's also padding under my back to reduce the amount of swelling around my spinal cord. Oh yeah the exit stab wound was only millimetres from cutting my spinal cord, it's a miracle i'm not paralysed. I placed my head gently onto the pillow, i closed my eyes but could stop my mind from wandering...

 _5 years ago_

 _It's about 9AM and everyone in the department is just arriving. I gave Reid i lift to work so we arrived together about 30 minutes ago. I was about half way through a report when Reid decided to show JJ something. He has the tendency to do Physics magic. He had a old camera film pot filled with a liquid and a catalyst. He shook the mixture and placed it on his desk._

 _He sat back and after a few minutes JJ said_

" _Nothing's happening" Reid replied_

" _Watch" i looked up just as the reaction happened and the pot fired off the desk. JJ squealed_

" _Ah." we followed the rocket and then it accidently hit Emily on the head._

" _Ooh. Ah, what-" Reid then spoke_

" _I'm so sorry, Emily" she picked up the pot and said_

" _What was that?" I then said_

" _Don't you recognize a rocket when you see one?" Reid then said_

" _I- I was merely demonstrating a physics law I- I-I didn't meant to hit- oh," Emily handed it back and said_

" _show me?" Reid then continued_

" _All right. Uh... well, turn around, please" Emily looked at him and said_

" _Turn around." JJ then said_

" _Yeah, he's not gonna show you... how it's done A magician doesn't reveal his secrets"_

" _But I thought you said it was physics?" Reid then said_

" _Physics...magic" I put my feet up on my desk and said_

" _Trust me. It will not do you any good to argue with him" the pair of them looked at me before turning around._

 _Reid set up the rocket and soon said_

" _All right, all right, turn back and observe" they turned back and waited for the reaction to occur. They all jumped when the reaction occurred but we couldn't predict what happened next. I took me feet off my desk and the rocket landed at Hotch's feet. Emily and JJ made it look like they were doing some work before He picked it up and said_

" _Physics magic" Reid replied sheepishly_

" _Yes, sir."_

" _Reid, we talked about this"_

" _I'm sorry, sir" he handed it back to Reid and said_

" _Really starting to get some distance on those" Hotch turned around and headed to his office. When he closed the door Emily said_

" _So he does have a sense of humor" JJ replied_

" _Sometimes…_

 __When i reopened my eyes, i saw something move in the corner of my eye. I turned my head to the right and saw Hotch sitting in the chair next to my bed. I went to push myself up but he stood up and stopped me by saying

"Wow, take it easy El" i settled back down and said

"They want to send abroad" sympathy covered his as he replied

"I know, they called me when you were taken back into surgery… Are we gonna talk about the way you reacted?" I looked at him and said

"Don't do that"

"Do what?"

"Attempt to profile me. You've tried for years and still can't" he looked at me and said

"I'm not trying to profile you El. i'm your friend, i know that this is going to be tough bu…"

i cut him off by saying

"Hotch i don't know if i can do this" i felt tear spring to my eyes as he said

"El, this isn't permanent"

"Can you promise me that? Can you promise me that when i come home Spence will forgive this and we can go on like nothing ever happened?" he was quiet for a moment before saying

"You know i can't fully promise you that. But i know that you'll be home one day" a tear slipped down my face as i said

"Aaron i'm scared. I can't do this on my own" he held my hand and replied

"Yes you can, you are the best agent i've had the pleasure of working with and you can do this.I know you're scared, but this is too keep everyone safe" I wiped my eyes and said quietly

"How is everyone?...


	5. Chapter 5

1 month later

Reids P.O.V.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Man? You know i don't mind you staying with me" i looked at my apartment building for a moment and then back to Morgan. I smiled and said

"It's been 2 months Derek. I need to do this"

"I can come up with you, help you get settled" i let out a small laugh before saying

"I appreciate that Derek but i need to do this alone"

"Alright then… Are you coming to Rossi's tonight?"

"I think Garcia would hurt me if i didn't"

"True. i'll pick you up a 7" I got out of the truck and got my bag and groceries from the bag. Before I went into my apartment I went to the front of the truck and said

"Hey Derek"

"Yeah'

"Thank you"

"No problem. If you need anything you can call, you know that"

"I know. I'll see you later". I stepped back and then he drove off.

I hesitated for a sec before heading into my apartment building. My apartment is up on the second floor and due to an incident on a case I refuse to use the lift. It took me a few minutes to reach my floor but instead of going straight into my home, I stood outside the door with my keys in hand. I couldn't stop my mind from going into a memory…

2 months ago

I just got out of the hospital and Elena insisted on bringing me home. On the way back we picked up some take out Chinese take out. I followed Elena up the stairs and she was saying

"So our amazing boss managed to get me a couple days off"

"Yeah"

"I think he's counting it as some of my remaining medical leave"

"How much do you have left?"

"Okay before I tell you, I just want to point out I didn't rush back to work"

"How much do you have left?"

"Like 4 months"

"El, come on" we reached my door, I got my keys out as she replied

"Don't El me. I passed all evaluations, passed the psych Eval…." We walked into the apartment as I said

"You helped write most of those questions"

I dropped my bag by the couch as she places the take out food on the counter. I walked in and said

"El, it's me. Come on"

"I was going crazy. I had to go back to work to keep my mind off…" I cut her off again

"Your mind off me" she moved closer to me and said

"Would you stop cutting me off" I smiled before gently pressing my lips against her…

I snapped myself out of the memory flash and turn the key in the door. I pushed my door open and let out a deep breath before entering my room. I looked around and smiled at the fact that all my planets had been watered and everything was tidy. I then put my groceries away before grabbing my luggage and taking it to my room. I dropped the bag on the bed and remembered the morning Elena was really late for work

I was woken up when the weight on the bed shifted. I opened my eyes and saw Elena pulling her jeans on. I pushed myself up and rested back on my elbows. I then said

"Hey, everything okay" she grabbed her shirt and said

"Well apart from the fact that i'm late for work, yeah it's all good" i smiled and as she started buttoning up her shirt I said

"Not like you to oversleep" she rolled her eyes before putting her boots on. As she put her holster on her belt she said

"And whos fault is it"

"You didn't say no"

"Funny" she grabbed her jacket, phone, badge, keys, a bag before walking to my side of the bed. She put a hand on my back of my neck and leant down and gave me a kiss. She pulled back and said

"Go back to sleep, i'll call you if we get case"

"Love you, i'll call you later"

"Love you". She then left the room and a few moments later I heard the front door close. I then lied back down and soon enough I had fallen asleep

This time I was snapped out of my thoughts by my phone ringing. I pulled it out of my pocket and saw Garcia was ringing me. I answered and said

"Hey Garcia, what's up?"

"Hey Baby Boy, I was just checking in, I know you were going home today"

"I'm home now and something tells me I have you to thank for watering my plants and cleaning my apartment"

"JJ let me borrow your spare key, I hope that's okay"

"It's fine Garcia, thank you"

"So, How are you doing?"

"I'm not gonna say I'm fine, because I'm coping"

"I know you miss her Spence, we all do"

"It's more than that Pen, I just got the girl. She was the love of my life and now she's gone, Again. I'm trying to wrap my head around why she just left like that but I can't focus on it. Every time I try my just slips into memories with Her, some good, some bad"

"See this is why we are going to Rossi's tonight. We're going to talk about stuff like this. Share memories and just talk because that is where we went wrong 2 years ago. After the Kol investigation was closed the entire team shut down… I refuse to let that happen again, so you better be there tonight" I smiled softly and replied

"Relax, Morgan is picking me up"

"Well good. I'll see you later"

"Bye Garcia" I put my phone down and continued to unpack my bag, when I finished unpacking I decided to grab something to eat before getting showered and ready for tonight.

Location: Paris

A black, Taxi pulled up outside of the Hôtel Europe Saint-Séverin. The driver was a man in his early 40's, brown shabby hair. He went around the back and opened the door for his passenger. A female in her early 30's, with blonde bob hair, got out with her hand luggage slug over her shoulder. The female was wearing a pair of black jeans, white blouse, black blazer, black heeled ankle boots and a pair of sunglasses. The cab driver pulled a couple of suitcases from the trunk of the car just as one of the hotel workers came out.

The worker was in her early 20's and had long black hair that was tied up into a high ponytail. The worker (Rosie) went over to the older woman and said

"Bienvenue, on nous a parlé de votre arrivée. si vous voulez me suivre. votre chambre est au dernier étage" (welcome, we were told about you arrival. if you would like to follow me. your room is on the top floor). The older woman smiled and followed Rosie into the hotel.

When they reached the top floor, Rosie opened the room door and placed the bags inside. Just before she left she asked

"Désolé, Mlle. Quel était votre nom déjà?" (Sorry Miss, what was your name again?). The older woman was facing the window as the question was asked. She took her sunglasses off, revealing her midnight blue eyes before replying

"McKenzie Barton"


	6. CMB3 AN

I'd really appreciate it if you all would let me know what you think so far. I really like writing these book and have at least 1 more planned. please write a review


	7. Chapter 6

_Location: Paris_

 _Time: 4:40AM_

McKenzies P. O.V

Paris is beautiful this time of year and this time of night. The eiffel tower illuminates Paris beautifully. Right now I'm stood out on my hotel room balcony wearing a pair of denim shorts and a oversized jumper that hangs off my shoulder, my hair is brushing across my shoulders in the light breeze. This would be the perfect evening if I was with the man I love. I haven't been sleeping properly since I entered the program 3 months ago. The most I sleep is 3/ 4 hours a night or whenever I can. Whenever I try to sleep my mind drifts back to memories when I was still Elena.

McKenzie Barton is a completely different person to Elena Miller, but I guess that's the point. Elena Miller was a badass, biker chick with a traumatic past and who wore dark clothing, leather jackets, combat boots, that kind of person. But McKenzie Barton is basically the exact opposite. She wears bright colored clothing, heels, dresses, smart looking outfits, that kind of stuff. To hide my identity even more I was advised to colour my hair blonde and wear coloured contact lenses. I have to push down all my natural instincts just to hide Elena and I hate it.

Eric checks in on me every week but I rarely see him, it's for my 'safety'. I know that he's in the same area as me just not exactly where. I thought I was coping with being in the program and away from home but I'm struggling, really struggling. I miss my home, I miss my family, I miss Spence; I just want this to be over, I wanna go _home..._

— _-_

"Maybe you should take a piece of advice from a man who has pushed away every chance of happiness because it was never enough. If it's within your grasp, if you know where it is and who it's with, then you should run to it, grasp it and never let it go.

-Robert Carlyle"

Reid's P.O.V

The things at Rossi's is a casual thing so for a change I was wearing a plain t-shirt, a pair of black jeans and my back converse. As if like clockwork at 7PM on the dot there was a knock on my Apartment door. So I put my jacket on, grabbed my keys and phone before opened it the door. As expected Morgan was stood there, when he saw me he said

"Hey kid, ready to go"

"Yeah" I stepped out of my apartment and locked the door behind me before following Morgan downstairs.

As we walked down the stairs he said

"So, everything okay at home" I put my hands in my jacket pockets and replied

"Yeah, Garcia has been looking after stuff whilst I've been at yours" he sighed and said

"That's not what I meant Pretty Boy" I stopped and said

"I know but… look we're gonna end up talking about her later can we just wait until then"he patted my shoulder and said

"Whatever you say Kid"

—-

When we arrived at Rossi's, Hotch's and JJs cars were outside. Garcia thought it'd be a good idea for us to meet up outside of office hours just so we could talk. Elena's death has hit all of us hard but unlike last time we've all decided not to bottle things up. Last time I shut everyone out and It nearly killed me, I was so close to going back to Dilaudid but Morgan noticed i was acting weird and did something about it.

Anyway when rossi let us into his home JJ came over and hugged me whilst saying

"Hey Spence, you doing okay?"

"I'm okay, JJ.

"Promise?"

"Promise" she pulled out of the hug and smiled at me just before Rossi brought a drink over. A few moments later Garcia arrived. We chatted for a while before Rossi called us al outside to eat. He made us a traditional white sauce lasagna and some fresh homemade garlic bread, and prepared some salad to have as well. It was really nice.

About an hour after dinner we moved to the end of the garden and are currently sat in a circle around a medium sized Bon-Fire. I was sat with my legs crossed, JJ and Garcia were sat next to me just encase I broke down. I'd been fine all evening but now i know that we're about to talk about her and i don't know how to react. Garcia broke the silence by saying

"OKay, we all agreed that this would be good for us. We need this. So who wants to go first" we all went quiet again but then Emily spoke

"I only knew her for a couple of months before the Kol case, and in that short time it was nearly impossible to miss how protective she was over you. It really surprised and then found out how old she was and i was impressed, really impressed. The first case i worked with her on, i'll never forget the way she saw things at the crime scene that no one else did. No one will ever be able to replace her on this team, or beat her records in the academy" i smiled a bit as she reminded me that Elena holds all the course records at the academy and just kept improving her scores.

Next was Hotch

"She never stopped impressing me. I started to think that one day she'd take over being Unit chief and she would have been great at it. Gideon taught her to be the best agent she could. With her skill set she was offered so many other jobs, in other departments of the buero or branches of government. She turned the al down just to keep this team from being split up. I know that she had higher up connections in the buero and i think that's why she never really got penalised everytime she broke procedure. She alway hated authority but that's just who she was. She was one of the best agents i've ever worked with"

Then Rossi

"I first met Elena when she was 5 years old, she was one of my first child abuse cases. After she was handed over to social services i wish i had check record of what happened to her. I didn't even realise she was the little girl until we had to go through her foster care records. When i did find out i felt so guilty because of all the horrible things she went through but then she reminded me that if she hadn't gone through what so did, she wouldn't have joined the FBI and our lives would have been very different. Elena Miller will go down in BAU history as one of the best agents but she was a better friend"

The JJ

"When i first met Elena, i honestly thought that she was an intern or assistant for someone in the buero. I didn't think someone that young could have so much experience dealing with criminals. I must have known her for about a week before i was told by Hotch that she was an agent. I was so embarrassed because i asked her to do a coffee run….. The first time i saw Elena in action, i was astounded by her knowledge depth and how well she dealt with everything, she didn't even flinch at the crime scene photos. She wasn't your conventional FBI agent and i guess that worked for her but no one will ever be able to replace her on this team. She was more than a friend, she was my sister"

The Garcia

"Elena always knew how to make me smile, even when we had really tough cases, she would always light up a room. I know that me and her are basically polar opposites but we clicked. She'd always make me feel better about myself and never judged me when i went to her with a problem. One day i was really upset about something and i called Elena. To make me feel better she told me something that Gideon once told her 'Believe in yourself. You are braver than you think, more talented than you know, and capable of more than you imagine'. Those world will stay with me forever

And finally Morgan.

"Elena always said she hated it when i called her Princess but i knew, she loved it. From the moment i met her i knew she had a tough past, like me. I don't know what it was maybe it like look in her eyes, the tough exterior, the struggle to let people in. i don't know. But one day that all changed, it must have been just shy of her first year at the BAU when Gideon introduced us to the boy wonder" i looked up at him as he continued. As he started speaking again he was speaking directly to me this time

"That look in Elena's eyes, i think that was the only time i've ever been able to profile her. I knew that one day you two would end up together. I am so sorry that you lost her again and i know you don't want to admit it but you are struggling with this. Just talk to us please. Just talk to us this time, Spencer, it's what Elena would want you to do"

I stayed silent for a few minutes before saying quietly

"It's like you're screaming but no one can hear. You almost feel ashamed that someone could be that important, that without them, you feel like nothing. You feel hopeless, like nothing can save you. And when it's over and its gone, you almost with that you could have all that back so you can have the good. Sometimes have an eidetic memory really suck, i can remember everything she said, everything she did, all the good, all the bad. Absolutely everything. Whenever my mind slips into a memory my heart break into a million pieces over and over again. I loved her so much and now she's gone, again. The only difference is this time i can't do anything to bring her back"

I quickly wiped my tears away before saying

"I… i need help" Hotch then said

"Where is it?" i didn't meet his eyes as i pulled out a small vile from my jacket and placed it on the table. JJ instantly wrapped her arms around me and whispered

"Spence" Garcia wrapped her arms around me too. I took a breath and said

"I thought i was coping but you're right, i'm not. What makes this tim so much worse than before is that i finally admitted that i loved her and she loved me back. The crazy thing is I don't know if I'm ever gonna feel that way again, but I don't know if I should…..


	8. Chapter 7

Reids P.O.V.

6 AM

Hotch called us in for an early case conference. Usually i don't have a problem getting up this early but i didn't get much sleep last night. I've had a migraine for 24 hours now so i'm running on fumes and coffee, lots of coffee. Anyway, i enter the conference room rubbing my eyes and with a large cup of coffee in my hand, and it didn't go unnoticed that i was wearing my glasses. As i sat down Morgan said

" Reid, is everything okay?"

"Hmm, yeah" Garcia then strolled in with an arm full of casefiles and a large mug in the other. She then said

"Sorry, i'm late my lovelies. Getting up this early is a drag" she put her mug on the table before handing out th case files. She then picked up the remote and started going over the case

"Yesterday, in Asheville, North Carolina, a hiker stumbled across a ditch containing… nine dead bodies. 5 men and 4 women. 2 were asphyxiated, 3 beaten to death, 2 drowned, one had her wrists slit open, and one starved to death. The men were only beaten whereas the women were beaten and um, raped repeatedly"

We all looked down at the case files as Emily said

"Were any of them shot or stabbed" Garcia shook her head 'no'. Rossi then said

"Well then, we have a quiet killer in our hands, this'll be easy" you could hear the sarcasm in his voice. I then said

"So for him to kidnap his victims and take them somewhere to kill them quietly, he must live in an isolated area but reading this he must live close enough for others to hear screams or gunshots, there's residue from duct tape or some other type of cloth and there was also traces of a paralytic drug in their systems" Hotch then said

"I take it that's all we've got until the autopsies are done" Garcia replied

"Correct boss man. They should be done later today" Hotch closed his file and said

"OKay, wheels up in 30"

We all then got up but before i could leave Hotch said

"Reid, hang on a sec" i sighed inwardly before saying

"Before you say anything, i'm fine" Everyone's been keeping a close eye on me since the thing at Rossi's house few months ago.

"I was just gonna say that this is the first time i've seen you wear your glasses since… the first time in 9 months" it's still hard to believe that it's been 9 months since i lost her. Anyway i replied by saying

"Uh yeah, just got a headache"

"Is that because you aren't sleeping?" i looked at him with a surprised look before saying

"How'd you know?"

"You work with a bunch of profilers, Reid"

"And you told us not to profile each other"

"It's hard to switch off sometimes. But seriously if you need to take some personal time, don't be afraid to ask"

"Thanks Hotch"

Hotch, JJ and I arrived at the police station at just after 10AM and were greeted by the chief

"You must be the BAU I'm Chief Hegarty" Hotch shook his hand and introduced us

"Yes, I'm SSA Hotchner, These are SSA Jurea and Doctor Reid. The rest of our team have gone to the dump site" the Chief then said

"Right, we've got you set up in the conference room. Just over here" we followed the Chief to the back of the station where the conference room is. I also couldn't help but notice the coffee machine right next to the room.

Anyway as we entered the room the chief said

"We've ID all 9 victims and have 2 of the autopsy reports. They should all be completed by mid-afternoon". I put my satchel on one of the chairs before looking at the 9 pictures stuck up on the board.

After a couple minutes JJ said

"So where do we start?" recently JJ has been taking profiling classes and is training to become the profile we know she can be. Hotch then answered her question

"You and I will start with Victimology. Reid start with the autopsy reports" so that's what we did…..

It's getting late and we haven't found a single lead. We've been working nonstop since we arrived; looking at dead bodies and reading all those autopsy reports plus the information Garcia keeps throwing at us hasn't helped my headache at all. I looked over the reports in a matter of minutes and i couldn't see anything to connect the victims. They all look different; maybe it's a gender issue or has something to do with where they lived.

I sat back in my chair and studied the map to try and see a pattern, path, shape, something but there wasn't anything. Something the clicked, i quickly went back over the files before i heard Rossi say

"Oh Kids had a breakthrough. Care to share" i got up and stood in front of the map before saying

"You see how all the marks are scattered and there's no pattern between where the victims live?" Morgan took a slip of his drink before saying

"Yeah, and?"

"Well, from the looks of it they weren't connected in anyway. Thy didn't go to the same school, didn't work at the same places, and they were scattered all over Asheville" Rossi then said

"So what? You think it's personal?"

"Possible. But we've been missing the obvious, they all had high paid professional jobs" JJ then asked

"And what's your point?"

"It doesn't say where they went to college in their files. All the jobs the victims had required a degree of some kind"

Morgan then took his phone out and rang Garcia

"Hey Baby Girl, we need those magic hands of yours"

"Anything for you my love"

"Where'd all the victims go to college?"

"Okay give me a second… they all originally went to Asheville University But were kick out and then spread off to unis around the country" I then asked

"What happened Garcia?"

"I'm not completely sure, I'll have to do some digging but I do know that they were all kicked out on the same day"

Hotch then said

"Find our what you can and get back to us"

"Will do, PG out"

Location: Paris

Eric's P.O.V.

I walked into the hotel with some urgency. Elena was supposed to check in with me 2 hours ago and in the 9 months of her being in the program she hasn't missed a check in. The door man at the hotel didn't question my presence as I walked to the elevator. It took a couple of minutes but when I got to the top floor something immediately felt off.

The lights were flickering on and off and it was cold, really cold. I calmly made my way to the end of the hall with my hand on my gun just for in case. When I reached the intended door it was open slightly. Taking my gun out of my holster I quietly entered the room. What I saw put me even more on edge. I saw that just about everything was smashed, turned over, destroyed or out of place.

I was about to call out for Elena and then I remembered her cover

"McKenzie!" I didn't really expect a reply but felt extremely relieved when I got one

"Eric" I let out a relieved breath before heading towards her.

I found her lying in the floor behind the turned over couch. She was lying on her back and had blood flowing from her nose, a black eye, cut on her scalp, blood spots on her t-shirt and her wrist looked slightly purple. I crouched down next to her and said

"What happened?" Pain spread across her face as she tried to sit up. So I said

"Okay. Urm lets get you out of here" I took her left arm and wrapped it around my shoulders before scoping her up bridal style and took her to the nearest medical centre…


	9. Chapter 8

Reids P.O.V.

Whilst Garcia was still looking into why the victims were kicked out of college, we decided to deliver the profile. Hotch started by saying

"We're looking for a physically fit, white male in the asheville area" JJ Then continued

"He'll be in his mid-late 30's" Then Emily

"His victims all went to the same college at some point. This most likely indicates that the Unsub has a connection the the college also" then Morgan

"This Unsub has some serious anger management issues and could lash out at any moment" Rossi then said

"This unsub has been planning these kills for years. He is very organised but now we've discovered his dump site, we've interrupted his ritual so he could start to devolve" i then spoke

"If he does start devolving, his kills will get more frequent and violent. He's killed 9 people already who knows how many others he'll kill before we catch him. Keep a lookout for anyone matching this profile and call it in immediately. Don't pursue him alone. Wait until backup arrives"

2 hours later

"What did you find Garcia?"

" _Okay, well even though some of victims were not at college at the same time, they all got kicked out for the same reason"_ JJ then asked

"Which was?"

" _This is where things get interesting. They all got kicked out for throwing parties that resulted in a death all in the same house"_ I then said

"So how many deaths have there been"

" _In total, 3. And listen to this. 1 was asphyxiated, 1 drowned, and 1 had her wrists slit open"_ Rossi then said

"So it's revenge. Garcia were these three victims related"

" _Yes, they were cousins. And all lived with extremely religious parents. However, there is only one member of that family left. A Nick Rogers aged 36. He was only when his last cousin died and then 2 years later he started losing his other family members"_ Hotch stood up and said

"We need an address Garcia"

" _Already sent"_ Morgan then said

"Thanks Momma"

" _Be safe, my loves"_

When we pulled up outside of the unsubs house we got out with our vests on and weapons drawn. As we walked towards the house we split into 2 groups. JJ, Emily and Rossi, went around the back of the house whilst Hotch Morgan and i took the front. Morgan was the first to enter the house and immediately went to check upstairs. Hotch took the left and i went to the right.

As i entered the back of the house Morgan Yelled

"CLEAR!" that was closely followed by Hotch

"CLEAR!" i lowered my gun and was just about to say clear when something really hard smacked into the back of my head. I fell forward and dropped my gun as i did. Everything is buzzing and my vision is all fuzzy. I managed to roll onto my back and from what i could make out, Nick was stood over me pointing my gun at me.

"Why did you have to stick you noses where they weren't wanted. I was so close" before i got a chance to say anything back to him i heard Morgan and Hotch's voice

"Drop the gun. NOW!" Nick didn't move. I then heard movement behind me before JJs voice

"Nick, drop the gun. This wouldn't be what your family wanted. Just think" I pulled my hand away from the back of my head and saw some blood on my finger tips. My face scrunched in pain before i head the clang of my gun being dropped. I opened my eyes only to see Morgan standing over me, he outstretched his hand and said

"Reid, you okay man?" i took his hand and he pulled me up whilst i said  
"Define okay" when i got to my feet i was hit by a wave of dizziness. I nearly fell over but Morgan caught me and said

"Let's get you checked out, kid"he wrapped my right arm around his shoulders whilst i touched the back of my head and said

"Yeah goo idea"

It turns out i had a mild concussion and needed a couple of stitches. I was given some painkillers before i was discharged. We're currently about half way home when JJ came and sat across from me. She handed me a ice pack and said

"This should help" I happily accepted it and placed it on the back of my head and replied

"Thanks"

"How you feeling?" i didn't have to answer because i yawned. She let out a small laugh and said

"You know the drill. You need to stay awake…" I yawned again whilst saying

"For 12 hours i know" she was quiet for a couple minutes before saying

"So, how have you been doing?"

"I'm fine JJ, Morgan checks on me all the time outside of work, so does Garcia. I promise you, i'm okay"

 _Location: Paris_

Mckenzie's P.O.V.

I sat on the hospital bed with my head in my hands, My head is throbbing and my the painkillers have worn off so the pain in my arm is creeping back. I've got a slight concussion, sprained wrist, 4 broken ribs, as well as cuts and bruises everywhere. I've got such a headache and my contacts are really starting to irritate me, all i want to do is put my glasses on but that will show my blue eyes and raise questions.

Eric left the room to get my discharge papers, but i don't know what will happen next. Will i get a new identity and relocated or what, i don't know and it's freaking me out. I was snapped out my thoughts when Eric came back into the room saying

"You good kid"

"Yeah, just tired"

"Let's get out of here" i got up and slowly followed him out of the clinic. As we reached the door he pulled out his phone and i said

"WHo are you calling?" he didn't answer me he just put his phone next to his ear and after a moment said  
"Director Barton, we've got a problem….


	10. Chapter 9

" _A wise man once told me family don't end in blood, but it doesn't start there either. Family cares about you, not what you can do for them. Family's there through the good, bad, all of it. They got your back even when it hurts. That's family"_ ― _**Eric Kripke**_

Aarons P. O.V

Upon returning from Kansas, I was greeted by the director of the FBI. The team quickly left and headed to their desks before the director said

"We have a problem?"

"What kind of problem?"

"An Eric Johnston has been in contact regarding our asset in the program"

"What's happened?"

"She was found in her apartment, beaten"

"Is she okay"

"mostly. They're bringing her back here. It's time you told your team"

"When is she going to be here"

"Within the hour. You need to tell them now"

"what happens then. She went into the program safely, they didn't know She was alive. What happens next"

"You solve this case. Even if you have to use her to do so" he started to walk away but I stopped him by saying

"Sir are you asking me to use her as bait?"

"If you have to…Yes" he then got in the elevator and left.

I stood there for a second before deciding that I should tell Reid before anyone else. So I took a breath and headed into the bullpen. As I walked up the stairs to my office I said

"Reid can I speak to you in my office?" He replied with

"Sure" his voice was full of confusion. It's understandable, I just spoke with the FBI director and now I'm speaking to him.

When I entered my office I placed my bag next to my desk before walking over to the safe on the bookcase. I had my back to the door as I heard it close, I then said before Reid could

"Relax, you aren't in any trouble" I opened the safe and pulled out a case file. As I turned back to him he said

"What's up?" I hesitated before speaking

"I thought I should tell you before I told the others"

"Told me what?"

"You might want to sit down" he sat down on the couch before I continued

"9 months ago I made a decision that affected everyone on the team, but no one more than you" I handed him the file and continued

"I knew that Cabe Perez wouldn't stop until Elena was dead. As her medical contact I was told first about her condition…despite her injuries she survived barely" pain, confusion and sadness swept across his face as I spoke. He then muttered

"What, she's alive?"

"She was put into Witness protection with her identity as need to know. I'm not sure where she's been since but…"

"But what?! She's okay, right?!"

"Her handler, Eric Johnston has been in contact. Elena was attacked in her apartment a couple of days ago. I'm not sure the extent of her injuries but for her safety she's being brought back here… everything that I know is in that file"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was for Yours and Elena's safety. If you knew she was alive and Cabe found out, he would have used you to draw Elena back… I just want to point out that Elena had no idea I was going to do this. I only told her a few days after recovering from surgery. At first she didn't want to go but realised it would have been safer if she did"

"When is she coming back?"

"She's being brought in as we speak" he looked down at the file for a moment and then I said

"Are you okay?"

"Just processing things. Does anyone else know"

"Not yet. I wanted to tell you first"

"I appreciate that. Can I have a minute to think?"

"Sure, I'm going to go tell the rest of the team" he just nodded.

As I closed my office door behind me I was relieved to see Garcia talking with JJ and Emily. I started walking to the conference and as I passed Daves office I said

"Conference room, now!" Before I entered the conference room I heard Morgan say

"Wait, where's Reid?" I stopped and replied

"Conference room, now" worried looks spread across all their faces but they did as they were told and joined me in the conference room.

I stood at the front of the room and waited for everyone to join me. When everyone was sat down I spoke before they could.

"9 months ago this team went through something that we never thought we have to again. Losing Elena the way we did, again, hit us hard… I'm gonna tell you something that will change everything. I made the decision to put her into Witness Protection, that is where she has been for 9 months" everyone, besides Rossi, was in shock and that was clear by the looks on their faces. I then said

"If anyone has any issues related to this then tell me now because as of this moment the Perez case is re-opened and we are going to need the entire team working this, and I mean everyone. Elena is being brought in for her protection" Morgan let out a breath before saying

"Issues? Yeah I got issues, you faked my best friends death"

"I know and I'm sorry but it was for her own safety" they were silent for a moment before JJ spoke

"Does Spencer Know?"

"Yeah, he trying to process things" Rossi then asked

"When if she getting here"

"They should be here in the hour but…" Garcia cut me off by saying

"But, What but? Buts are never good"

"The only reason she is being brought back is because she was beaten in her apartment"

"Is she okay?"

"I don't know, I just found out about the beating" everyone once again went quiet. The room was silent for a couple of minutes until we heard Reid's voice

"It's been 9 months. It's time to solve this case and catch this son of a bitch" at first we were taken back by his outburst but he's right. It has been too long for this case to go unsolved. I smiled at Reid and said

"Alright then, let's do what we do best"

 _1 hour later_

Eric's P. O. V.

The drive from port was a long one. Between there and here we made one stop at a motel to get some sleep and something to eat. We left the motel at 4 this morning so I'm getting tired. Elena is currently asleep in the back seat. I was the one that found her in her apartment and the only reason I went to her apartment was because she missed her weekly check in and because of news from home; Known accomplishes of Cabe have been more active recently.

—

 _Yesterday evening_

 _I walked into the hotel with some urgency. Elena was supposed to check in with me 2 hours ago and in the 9 months of her being in the program she hasn't missed a check in. The door man at the hotel didn't question my presence as I walked to the elevator. It took a couple of minutes but when I got to the top floor something immediately felt off._

 _The lights were flickering on and off and it was cold, really cold. I calmly made my way to the end of the hall with my hand on my gun just for in case. When I reached the intended door it was open slightly. Taking my gun out of my holster I quietly entered the room. What I saw put me even more on edge._ _I saw that just about everything was smashed, turned over, destroyed or out of place._

 _I was about to call out for Elena and then I remembered her cover_

" _McKenzie!" I didn't really expect a reply but felt extremely relieved when I got one_

" _Eric" I let out a relieved breath before heading towards her._

 _I found her lying in the floor behind the turned over couch. She was lying on her back and had blood flowing from her nose, a black eye, cut on her scalp, blood spots on her t-shirt and her wrist looked slightly purple. I crouched down next to her and said_

" _What happened?" Pain spread across her face as she tried to sit up. So I said_

" _Okay. Urm lets get you out of here" I took her left arm and wrapped it around my shoulders before scoping her up bridal style and took her to the nearest medical centre…_

—

We could only get her basic medical attention so we didn't risk her identity. We took her to a basic medical centre to get her wounds cleaned and bandaged up. She was cleared of any serious injuries but she has got a couple of broken ribs and a sprained wrist. She was given some painkillers but they don't seem to be helping, the only time she seems relieved is when she's asleep.

Anyway, it was about 10 AM when I pulled up outside of Quantico. When I did Elena had just started to wake up. She sat up as I said

"Welcome home Kid"she looked out of the window just as a couple of familiar faces came out of the nearby lift. It was Aaron Hotchner and David Rossi. A small smile graced Elenas lips as she got out of the car. I rubbed my eyes and got out the car as well.

When I walked around the car Elena said

"It's so good to you, both of you" she first hugged Rossi but noticeably winced when he hugged back. So almost immediately he pulled away and said urgently

"How badly are you hurt?"

"Nothing too serious, few broken ribs, bruises, that's it" Hotch then looked at me and said

"Thank you for bringing her home" I gave him a slight nod before Elena muttered

"Spence" Rossi placed a hand on her shoulder and replied

"He's upstairs. They all know" she then said

"Are they okay?" Hotch replied

"They're a little annoyed but they'll be okay"

"You sure about that?"

"Give them time" I stepped away from the truck and said

"I have to go give an update to my boss. I'll come check on you later" Elena Turner to me and said

"Thank you for everything"

"No problem kid, stay out if trouble" I then got back in my car a drove away.

Elenas P. O. V.

I was noticeably tense when we were in the elevator. I couldn't stop playing with my necklace, until hotch said

"Elena, relax" I then fired back

"Easy for you to say you haven't been dead for 9 months" I looked at him before saying

"Sorry, I guess I'm more nervous than expected" Rossi then said

"Clearly. It'll be fine Kid. We're gonna get this son of a bitch and then you can come home permanently" the lift doors then opened and my heart felt like it was gonna burst out of my chest but only got faster when I saw him sat at his desk…


	11. Chapter 10-

" _Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."_

– _Lao Tzu_

Reid's P.O.V.- 10 minutes earlier

Between the time hotch told us about Elena being alive and the time she was due to arrive, he ordered everyone else to go home for a couple of days. When Hotch and Rossi went to go meet Eric and Elena, i couldn't focus on anything. I couldn't sit still in my chair and my leg kept jumping. I hadn't even noticed JJ learnt o the edge of my desk until she said

"I don't think i've ever seen you like this" i stopped fidgeting and jumped slightly before saying

"Like what?"

"Your body language is all over the place. You can't sit still and your leg is all jumpy. I've been sat here a few minutes and you didn't even realise" looked up at her and said

"You're really paying attention in those profiling classes, huh"

"Yeah well, i've got you lot to compete with and you're changing the subject"

"She was gone JJ. Hotch made us all believe she was dead for nine months. We don't even know where she's been" I sat back in my chair and waited for her to respond but instead a familiar voice echoed through the room.

"Paris. I've um been in paris for the last 7 months" my head snapped towards the source. I then muttered

"Elena" a wave of emotions crashed over me as she replied

"The one and only" without hesitation i practically jumped out of my chair and quickly went over to her. I tightly wrapped my arms around her and lifted her off the ground slightly. She then muttered in my ear

"Hey"

"Hi" I placed her back on the ground, placing a hand on the side of her face. I wiped away a tear and said

"You need to stop dying on me" she stroked the back of my hair and replied

"Last time, i promise"

"I'm gonna hold you to that, just don't leave me again" she smiled and said

"You're stuck with me now.. I missed you so much"

"I love you"

"I love you too"

Garcia then came over and said

"Girl wonder come and give me a hug" Elena stepped away from me slightly as Garcia wrapped her arms around her. However, i didn't fail to notice the slight wince and neither did Garcia. Garcia immediately pulled away and said

"Oh my god, you're hurt" Elena then said sarcastically

"You do know i'm here because i was beat up in my apartment, right?" Morgan responded to that by saying

"Same old Elena" she smiled and said

"Missed you too Derek. But seriously guys i'm fine just a few bruises, couple broken ribs, i've had worse" Hotch then said

"Ready to get to work"

Elena's P.O.V.

It felt so weird to be back at the BAU after so long but at the same time it was like nothing has changed. When Hotch asked if we were ready to get back to work we all went into the conference room. When we were in the conference room hotch looked at me and said

"Now i know havent been gone for 9 months and not looked into this case. What you got?" i pulled the case file out of my bag and said

"Not much. I got everything i could without breaking my cover but i did manage to get a hold of the police report from my sisters death. According to the records there was three different set of DNA on her not including hers. I know my cabe and my biological mom were there but i don't remember anyone else. I've tried every exercise we teach and nothing's there. Cabes and the other set of DNA have similar markers so i'm guessing his brother. I think this is so much bigger than we originally thought. Have you found anything on Cabe" Garcia answered me by saying

"He's a ghost. He dropped off the grid after he escaped from prison 10 years ago nearly to the day" i then said

"Wait 10 years"

"Yeah why?"

"Next week marks 10 years since i graduated the academy" JJ then said

"I guess that's the stresser. Seeing his daughter who ran away from him, become the youngest person to graduate the academy and in record time too" i looked at her in astonishment before Emily clarified

"Oh right, she's taking the profiler exam"

"Bout time" Morgan then said

"So we've found the stressed but what doesn't make sense is how he always knew where you were. Your work with MI6 was classified, Hotch didn't even know where you were based" I then said

"I've never thought of it like that, I always assumed it was Kally working alone. But now I guess she told him"

"But the chances of him knowing Kally would be assigned to the same team are like a million to 1" Rossi then said

"we need to talk to Kally" Spence then said

"Except there's a problem. Very much like Elena, Kal has always had a problem with authority figures. And now she's locked up the chances of her talking have dropped, Unless…" JJ then said

"Unless what" Spence looked at me and I said

"Unless she speaks to me" Hotch replied immediately

"No"

"Hotch come on, we need to talk to her and figure out what she knows"

"Both of you My office" Spence and I followed him out of the conference room towards his office...


	12. Chapter 11

" _Home is where you go to find solace from the ever changing chaos, to find love within the confines of a heartless world, and to be reminded that no matter how far you wander, there will always be something waiting when you return." ―_ _ **Kendal Rob**_

ELena's POV

When Reid closed the door to Hotch's office, Hotch said to me

"You do realise if Kally sees you, that's it. You won't be able to go back into the program" i replied

"I know. But if i talk to her then we can end this" Reid then said

"I'll be in there the entire time, Hotch. We've been trying to find Cabe for 9 months, this could be our only real chance" Hotch sighed before saying

"Okay, before i make the call is there anything i need to know that Kally could use to manipulate you" i scratched my head before saying

"Um"i walked over to the window and when i turned back to Hotch and Reid they had concern written across their faces. Reid then said

"Elena, what aren't you telling us?" I took a breath before saying

"Hotch knows this but when i was told about going to Paris i really hit rock bottom. But what you don't know is that It got so bad that i.. Um…." i pulled my sleeves up to reveal multiple faded scars scattered across my arms.

Spence gently held my left arm before Hotch said

"Why didn't you tell me?" i just shrugged. Reid then said

"What made you stop?"

"You did"

"Me?" i looked up at him before saying

"I called you 7 months ago" he looked at me shocked before remembering

"That was you?" Hotch then butted in

"Elena do you have idea how risky that was!"

"I know Hotch but i called him from a payphone, i had to hear his voice. If i hadn't then…." Reid cut me off by saying

"I don't want to think about that, please"

"I'm sorry". I heard Hotch sigh before saying

"Is there anything else i need to know?"

"I started smoking again. That's it" i smoked when i was a teenager and quit when i joined the BAU

"Okay, i'm going to make the call. And i'll give you two a couple minutes in private"

When Hotch left the room, Spence stepped away and sat down on the couch. I ran a hand through my hair and said

"Say something" he looked up and replied

"What do you want me to say Elena? You almost killed yourself!" i felt tears spring to my eye as i walked over to him. I crouch in front of the couch, held his hands and said

"I want you to say that you love me. I want you to say that we're gonna find cabe so i can come home. I want you to tell me that everything is going to be fine because i feel like this is a dream and when i wake up i'll be a million miles away from you" he was quiet for a second before he said

" **4323 miles" he wiped a tear away with his thumb before saying**

" **We're gonna figure this out, and then you can come home. This isn't a dream, i'm here and i'm not letting you go again"**

" **When i come home, i want to be with you, i really do..."  
** " **I want to be with you too"**

" **Let me finish.** During my time away, i knew that when i came home i wanted to be with you. Have a family, with you. So i found a doctor who found a way to possibly fix what Kal did to me"

"When you say fix, do you mean…" i cut him off by saying

"I was away for 9 months and in 5 of those 9 months i was going through the treatment. Spence there's a chance i can have kids, if you still want a family"

20 minutes later Spence and i rejoined the team. As we entered the room Garcia said

"Elena does the name Jayson Wild mean anything to you?"

"Uh yeah, he was my case worker before i moved to LA, Why?"

"I had to do a deep dive to try and find a match to that other set of DNA from your sisters death and it matched his"

"Jay, no way" Spence then said

"Cabe did know a lot about you and your life in LA. someone would have had to tell him. Did Jayson know you were getting relocated to LA"

"Yeah he placed me with the O'brians" Hotch then said

"Garcia we need an address"

"Already sent to your phone" i then said

"I guess you're going to ask me to stay here" Hotch replied  
"Yes and for once please follow my orders. Morgan, Reid, JJ AND Emily go bring in Jason" JJ and emily then left the room. Before Morgan left the room he took his gun out from his ankle holster, handed it to me and said

"Just in case" i took it and he left as i tucked the gun in the back of my jeans. Spence then kissed my cheek as i said

"Be careful"

"Always" he then followed the others.

30 minutes after the team left i was getting a cup of coffee when i heard a familiar female voice

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Elle" i stopped what i was doing and turned around. Stood with two other agents was Kally Smith. She smiled and said

"How are you not dead yet?" i was about to speak when Hotch came out of his office and said

"take her too interrogation room A" one of the agents replied

"Yes sir" when the agents too her away Hotch said

"The team are on their way back with Jayson" I simply nodded.

After a couple minutes he said

"Elena are you okay? And don't try to lie to me" I ran a hand through me hair before saying

"I've been gone 9 months Hotch. I just need some time to adjust back to the BAU and life as Elena Miller" Garcia then appeared and said

"I've never asked, how did the name Miller come about. Your birth name is Perez and your foster family is O'Brian so where'd miller come from?" I took a cup from my coffee before explaining

"I moved around a lot when I was a kid. my name was changed in each city until I was moved to Vegas, I liked the name Miller and stuck with it. Over time I forgot about the Perez's, met Spence, was fostered by the O'brians, net Gideon and the rest is history" she nudged me and said

"I never got to apologise for digging into your past back in LA"

"It's okay, I gave you permission, plus I wouldn't be who I am if I didn't go through what I did back then" After i said that Derek's voice entered the bullpen

"And our lives would have been so much quieter" the rest of the team then made their appearance as i said

"Same old BAU…..


	13. Chapter 12

" _You cannot defeat darkness by running from it, nor can you conquer your inner demons by hiding them from the world. In order to defeat the darkness, you must bring it into the light."―_ _ **Seth Adam Smith,**_

Kallys P.O.V.

After seeing Elle again i only had one question, 'How the hell is she alive? Cabe should have killed her'. The two agents that brought me hear left me in this room with my ankles chained together and my hands cuffed to the table in front of me. After being left in the room for 20 minutes i yelled

"Elena come out and play"a few moments later the door opened but i wasn't expecting the agent who came through it

"Spence" he sat down opposite me and said

"Hey Kal, hows prison?"

"I've been in worse places. But i did hear that you've had a rough few months"

"Yeah, i have a crappy few months but things seem to be looking up" i sat forward and said

"Speaking of, is she just gonna stand on that the other side of that glass or is she gonna come and ask about Cabe, Or Jason, or maybe even her birth mother" i looked at me for a couple minutes before he turned around and gave a slight nod to the glass.

Moments later the door opened and a raven haired Elena entered the room, she had a cse file in her hands. When she didn't sit down at the table i said  
"What's the matter, Elle? Come sit down" She responded  
"I'm good" i sat back in my chair and kept a close on ELena as she stayed at the back of the room. Spence then spoke  
"Kally, when did Cabe first come to you?"  
"2 weeks after Elene joined the academy"  
"How did you keep in contact with him"

"Burner phone, notes, that kind of stuff"  
"So you never met up with him face to face"  
"Only twice both times after the kol situation"  
"What about Jason?"  
"Only ever met him once and that was back in vegas, i thought he was dead"

Everything i was saying Spence was writing down. I didn't take my eyes off Elena. As Spence went to ask another question Elena said  
"And my birth mom?" i smiled and said

"She speaks. what about her?"  
"Did you ever meet my mother?"  
"No all my instructions came from Cabe. for all i know shes dead…. I answered your question now you answer mine"

"Fine"

"How are you still alive? He put a blade through your chest" at the mention of the blade she rubbed a part of her chest. She then said  
"Took near as damn the full nine months but i'm finally on the mend"  
"Doesn't answer my question"  
"The blade went in through my lower abdomen and came out my back just under my heart. It was 5 centimeters from cutting my heart and 3 centimeters from my spinal cord. Whilst in surgery my heart stopped twice and the doctors feared that the amount of swelling would permanently damage my spinal cord"  
"And did it? I'm only asking because you seem different and it's not because of the hair, so what is it?"  
"There was some damage to my spinal cord and had to go to sessions to get the strength in my body back"

Elenas P.O.V.

After nearly a two hour long interrogation with Kal, we finally got the information needed. Cabe is only found if he wants you to find him but there's a high chance he'll come here looking for me. The jet lag has also started to hit me.

I'm currently sat at the round table with my work file in front of me. I'm looking at the break in report from Paris and something isn't adding up. As I rubbed my eyes a heard a couple things being placed on the table. When I opened my eyes i saw a large mug a coffee in front of me and Garcia holding a cardboard box. Before I said anything she said

"Large Mocha Latte, 2 sugars, right?"

"Yeah Thanks" I took a sip of coffee and said

"What's in the box?"

She turned the box and written on the box was 'Elena Miller'. Garcia then said

"It's the stuff that was in your locker" I got up from my chair and reached towards the box. Before I opened it I said

"I thought Spence would have had this stuff" Garcia looked down briefly before saying

"It's been a rough few months for us all. But that's all in the past. You're home and I swear if you die in us again I will kill you. I know that's not possible but you know what I mean" I placed my head on her shoulder and said

"Have I mentioned that I love you" she wrapped an arm around me and said

"You never have to. It's implied… So go on then open it"

I lifted my head up and opened up the box. At the top of the box were some old photos i kept on my desk or in my locker, Then just some little odds and ends just random stuff. After i took all those out of the box i reached in and pulled out my old Beretta Px4 Storm. I tucked that into the back of my jeans and then picked up the black leather ID holder. I didn't open it, instead i just put it down on the table and looked in the box for anything else. When i saw one final item i took a deep breath and pulled it out. Holding up the old, warn out, black Biker leather jacket; I said

"I thought i'd never see this again" Garcia then said  
"How come you only wear that jacket"  
"Wore… and i've had this jacket since i joined the academy. I bought it when application was accepted" I cleared my throat and put it back in the box saying

"But that was a long time ago" When i put the lid on the box, Emily burst into the room and said  
"They got JJ and Morgan"

Without hesitating i left the room and said

"What the hell happened?" Rossi responded  
"We were out on a routine check, they came out of nowhere and shot at us. We were pinned down and separated. We tried to get to them but couldn't" i turned to Hotch and said  
"It was Cabe. he knows, Hotch he knows i'm alive" Hotch replied

"We don't know that for sure…" he didn't finish his sentence because he was cut off by a phone ringing. The ring was coming from my desk. I then said

"You didn't clear out my desk did you?" Emily then said

"Didn't touch it" I went to walk over to my desk but Hotch said

"Elena don't answer it"

"He already knows I'm alive Hotch, there's no turning back"

2 days later

Morgans P.O.V.

I couldn't tell you how we got in this situation. One moment we were on a routine search and the next we were thrown into the back of a van with handcuffs locked tightly around are hands. They gave us food and water and kept us unharmed. We also got to meet cabe for the first time; he's a real piece of work, i can see why Elena ran away from him.

Anyway we were woken up rather early, when we were woken up Cabe told us the Today's the day everything ends. JJ and i had no idea what he meant but soon after he said that we were out into a SUV and we've been on the road for hours. When we finally stopped, we were in a open space in the middle of nowhere. There was nothing here, no trees nothing, just some large cliffs surrounding us. JJ then muttered

"What are we doing here?" Before I could answer her my side door opened and Cabe said

"Out!" So we did.

When the door closed behind JJ the faint grumble of a car engine grew louder and louder. Eventually the car cane into view. It was a classic American muscle car, Red with black racing stripes. The windows were blacked out slightly so we couldn't see who was driving. When the car stopped I couldn't help but notice a large smile on Cabes face. I then muttered

"No…" JJ replied

"What?!" Before I could respond the car door opened. The first thing we saw was a pair of black combat boots and then we saw her.

It was Elena. Her hair was now back to it chocolate brown colour. She was wearing her signature leather jacket, grey top, black jeans and combat boots. She slammed her car door shut and walked around to the front of the car. As she leant against the bonnet she said

"I'm here, Dad. Let Derek and JJ go" out of the corner of my eye I saw a slight smile appear on Cabes face. He then said

"You called me Dad" Elena shrugged and said

"I've been running since I was a little girl. It's time to start accepting who I am. You may be my Father but you're not my family and never will be"

Elena pushed herself off her car and said

"You've been trying to get to me for 20 years. This is between us. JJ, Derek, my team, they have nothing to do with this. Let them go" Cabe walked away from us and towards Elena. When he got in front of her, he placed I finger under her chin and said

"I wanted my daughter to come home for so long, to come back to her parents…" he brushed a piece of hair behind her ear before continuing

"But seeing you here all grown up. I realise now that I should have killed you a long time ago" as he took his hand from Elena's cheek, she grabbed his wrist and said

"You say that but you've had so many opportunities to kill me, so the real question is why didn't you?"

Elenas P.O.V.- 1 hour later

So let me catch you up. Basically we won. Cabe had the opportunity to kill me again but he couldn't , with pointed at my head he could pull the trigger, so i did. Before he could even process what was happening i took my gun and shoot him right between the eyes, Honestly I did it before I realised what I was doing. The plan was to bring him into custody alive but after everything he put me through, all the pain, all the suffering, I was blinded by anger. My anger took control and I killed him. How we got to that situation, well that's a different story.

After I questioned Cabe, acting on orders from the Director; one of the swat team members took a shot at the guard closet to JJ. After that all hell broke loose. Morgan punched the guy next to him before grabbing JJ and running for shelter. I took cover by my car as the swat team ran into the situation and Cabe ran off. Between all the gun fire i ran after cabe despite Hotch telling me not to. I chased i'm into a nearby warehouse….

" _CABE COME OUT, YOU CAN'T HIDE FOREVER!" I walked around the warehouse, with my gun raised. I searched for a couple minutes before I heard his voice_

" _You know, you and I are a lot alike, both of us living one life on the outside. But who we really are ... we keep that buried deep inside... where no one can ever find it. That's why your team never saw me coming. That's why you never saw me coming" I then said with anger tracing my voice_

 _" See, I've seen the real Cabe, the one buried deep inside. He's a coward who always has an excuse or someone else to blame"_

" _You don't know me"_

" _Sure, I do. I was you ..." before i could continue, he jumped onto my back knocking me forwards and my gun out of my hand. I didn't see where it landed as i got to my feet. Once on my feet, i turned to face cabe who was still getting to his feet. Before he regain his balance i went to kick him but he blocked me by catching my foot. Still holding my foot he swiped one of his legs under mine knocking me to the ground. He went to kick me again but i blocked him and punched him giving me the chance to get up. He stumbled backwards, i kicked him in the chest launching him backwards. He got back up and i started swinging punches and kicks at him, he then kicked me in the chest and punched me across the face. He grabbed my hair and pushed me into another room. I punched him across the face before jumping a grabbing a pipe to use as leverage as I kicked him through a glass window. I followed him through but he blocked my kick, he got up but i kept blocking his punches. I then elbowed him in the face, knocking him down. Without even leaving a second to catch my breath I did flying scissor sweep kick causing Cabe to smack his head on the floor, Knocking him out cold…_

That fight ended with me having a black eye and all my previous injuries aggravated. On the plus side, Cabe is in a maximum security prison, and i've been officially brought back to the land of the living. But the hardest thing is yet to come, My reinstatement meeting to Buero….


	14. Chapter 13

" _We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are." ―_ _ **J.K. Rowling**_

—

Elenas P. O. V

I've been back and living with Spence for about a month now. My ribs have mostly healed but my body still aches at times. When Spence isn't out on a case he rarely leaves my side, when he's out on a case he's asked Garcia to check on me a lot. At times it's annoying but I know it makes him feel better, he's been through hell this past 9 months. I know he missed me and I missed him too.

Now, Hotch wanted me to take a few months to adjust back but I've been going out of my mind with boredom so after a lot of nagging, I've managed to convince him to arrange my reinstatement meeting for later today. So I got dressed into a red shirt, black jeans, black heeled ankle boots, ying yang earrings, my digital chain watch, a black studded belt, and my glasses. I don't do anything with my hair, I just let it flow naturally down my back. Before I left the room grabbed my bag and phone.

As I left my room, Spence was coming out of his office, he smiled at me, looked me up and down as I said

"Don't get used to it, it's only for today" he sniggered and said

"You look like an FBI agent, for once"

"That's the idea, Einstein" we then entered the kitchen as he said

"There's just one thing missing" he then pulled something out of his pocket and dangled it in front of me.

"My necklace, you got it fixed"

"Well yeah, it was expensive. Turn around" I put my bag on the counter and turned around. I lifted my hair and he put the necklace on. I could feel his breath on my neck as he did up the clasp, he placed his hands on my shoulders as I dropped my hair. I then turned around and he said

"There, that's the Elena I know and love" I then wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him,he wrapped his arms around my waist as I said

"Thank you"

"For what"

"For everything, for being you, for letting me stay here, for fixing my necklace"

"Yeah well I made Gideon a promise" I pulled out of the hug and said

"What promise"

"he made me promise to keep you out of trouble"

"Funny that"

"What" there was then a knock at the door. I went to answer it whilst saying

"He made me promise the exact same thing about you"

"Seriously"

"Yeah"

I opened the door and saw Garcia standing there.

"Hey Garcia, come in"

"Thank you" she followed me into the kitchen and said

"I brought you this" she pulled out a badge from her pink handbag. It was a visitor's badge for the FBI, I took it and Spence said

"Hopefully it's only temporary" Garcia then said

"fingers crossed"

"come on wouldn't want to be late" we then left the apartment and Garcia gave us a lift to work.

When we got to work we bumped into Derek by the lift. When he saw us he said to GArcia

"Morning beautiful"

"Morning my love" Morgan then looked at Spence and i before smiling and saying

"Alright love birds. How you settling back in El?" i smiled and said

"Just like nothing's changed" whilst in the lift GArcia asked

"So are you finding your own place or are you two…." we then reached our floor. As we got out Reid looked at me and said

"We haven't actually spoke about that" before i could respond Hotch came out of the bullpen and said

"I was just about to call you. They've brought you meeting forward, it's in 15 minutes" i kissed spence before turning back to the lift. Before we entered Hotch said to the others

"Oh and you have a harassment seminar in an hour" i watched all three of the sigh before we got into the lift and headed up to the top floor.

—-

1 hour later

Reid's P. O. V.

"So, let's talk about sexual harassment. Sexual harassment isn't always a quid pro quo arrangement. Maybe it's a conversation between two co-workers that makes you feel uncomfortable. Maybe these co-workers use phrases like…" the instructor changed the slide and I couldn't help but smile at the first thing in there, she then continued

""Baby girl." "Chocolate thunder." Or..."Where's my big black twelve-pack?" Garcia shared a worry look with Morgan before whispering

"Who?" The instructor continued again

"And that creates a what? A hostile work environment. So messages like, "more cushion for the pushing"" everyone laughed slightly before sage said

"Not appropriate. "I'll be Coco to your Ice-T." Not appropriate. "Flarpy blunderguff." I don't even know what that means, but not appropriate…

—-

Elenas P. O. V.

"You're are dismissed" we both went to get up until strous said

"Not you Miss Miller" she put emphasis on the Miss. I Sat back down and just looked at the council as Hotch left. When the doors close Strous said

"Now Miss Miller i'd like to discuss the decision you made 10 months ago, that almost got you killed"

"Cabe had my foster mother hostage, i had to do something"

"Why didn't you tell your team?"

"Telling them could have aggravated the situation. We all knew the profile of a sadistic serial murder. If i didn't go alone they could have been hurt" another council member looked down at my file and said

"Now this isn't the first time you've done this. It says here you've done something like this at least 5 times, is that right?" I sunk back in my chair and said quietly

"Yeah" Strous then said

"Get comfortably Miss Miller, we're going to be here for some time"

—-— **3 hours later** —-

We were finally having a break from the meeting and I've caved in to having a cigarette. I'm sat on a wall round the back of the building with a cigarette in my hand when my phone rang. I didn't even look at the caller ID before answering it

"Miller"

" _Well you sound stressed"_ it was Spence

"Hey Babe" I took an intake of smoke before he said

" _Are you smoking?"_

"Don't start, please. I'll quit after today"

" _That bad, huh?"_

"You know how we all thought that it was just gonna be about Cabe"

"Yeah"

"It's not. They're reviewing everything. Every time I disobeyed an order, every time I went solo, every time I broke protocol, everything. I'm so screwed"

" _Hey, don't say that. You don't know what's gonna happen"_

"Okay well the chances of me being reinstated have dropped drastically, and the chances of that reinstatement being to the BAU…"

" _You think they'll send you to a different department"_

"Strous has always had it out for me, from the first day Gideon put forward my application. When I got assigned to help MI6 she was over the moon… Anyway where last the case" he sent me a text a few hours ago to let me know they had a case

" _Wisconsin"_

"Do you know when you'll be home"

" _A few days. Hey when I'm back can we talk about the housing situation_ "

"Spence, I love you and living with you"

" _I'm sensing a but"_

"Can I just get this meeting over with and then we'll talk, Okay"

" _Yeah, I gotta go. I'll see you in a few days"_

"I love you, Einstein"

" _I love you too, babe. Bye"_

"Bye" after I finished my cigarette I headed back upstairs to continue the meeting. This is gonna be a long day.


	15. Chapter 14

" _It's a funny thing coming home. Nothing changes. Everything looks the same, feels the same, even smells the same. You realized what's changed is you."_ _ **-F. Scott Fitzgerald**_

 _ **3 days later**_

Reids P.O.V

We just got back to quantico and all i want to do is see Elena. I was gonna go straight home but Garcia told us that she was here. I tried ringing her on the plane but she didn't answer, i just got a text saying

' _In a meeting i'll call you later'_ just from that i knew that the reinstatement meeting wasn't going well. It's been going on for 3 days now and they still haven't come to a decision. Anyway we got out of the lift and was greeted by Garcia. She smiled and said

"Welcome home my doves" Morgan wrapped an arm around her shoulder before saying

"Thanks Baby Girl" Emily then asked

"Have you heard anything about Elena?"

"Ask her yourself" I then said

"Wait she's out of the meeting?" Garcia then pointed towards the bullpen.

When i entered the bullpen i looked towards her desk but she wasn't there. I looked towards the conference room but she wasn't there either, i was about to turn around when i heard her voice

"Looking for someone?" i turned around and saw her leaning against the kitchen counter with a mug in her hand. She smiled and as she stepped away from the counter she said

"Welcome home" she then came over and kissed me. We pulled away only when Morgan said

"How do i get that kind of welcome?" Garcia then said

"Oh sugar you only have to ask" Hotch then changed the subject

"How'd the meeting go?" she took a sip from her coffee before saying

"This makes coffee number 6 and i'm dying for a cigarette so…." JJ then said

"You don't know, do you?"

"No, not a clue. They haven't given me an answer yet" Rossi then said

"Is that good or bad?"

"I have no idea, i'm just trying not to think so much about it"

She then headed towards her desk. Garcia then said as she sat down

"How'd the meeting go in a general sense anyway?" Elena sat back in her chair and said

"Honestly, i'm surprised i haven't been fired yet" i put my bag down and said

"It can't be that bad, can it?" she looked at me and said

"I've gone solo half a dozen times, broke protocol more times than i'd care to mention, been suspended three times, and died twice. And that just scratches the surface" after she said that another voice said

"Yes it does only scratch the surface Miss Miller"

We all turned around and saw Chief Agent Strous standing with the Director and another man in a suit. Chief Strous then said

"Agent Hotchner can we talk in your office please" she walked up the the walk way before saying

"You too Miss Miller" I sighed as I heard the emphasis she put on the 'Miss'. She got up from her desk and followed Hotch. When the door to his office closed JJ said

"I've got a bad feeling…" Rossi then said

"We can't jump to conclusions, all we can do is wait"

Elenas P.O.V.

As I closed the door to Hotch's office, Strous started to close the blinds. Hotch sat down at his Desk as Strous began talking

"The board has come to an decision, regarding your situation Miss Miller" I sat down in one of the chairs and said

"And that would be?" She sat i'm the chair next to me and said

"You are a very talented Agent and a vital asset to the Beuro and this team…" Hotch then said

"However?…"

"However, due to your track record of going rouge, long history of disobeying orders and complete lack of following Protocol… The Beuro is willing to reinstate you on one condition" I took a breath and said

"What would that be?…

Reid's P. O. V

"What's that face for, El?" I looked up from my desk and saw Elena and Hotch walking back into the bullpen. Elena has something in her hand but before I could ask her what it was Hotch said

"There was a condition to Elenas reinstatement" I stood up as Rossi said

"What is it?" Before Hotch answered him Elena came over to me, took me hand and lead me into the the conference room.

The door closed as I said

"What's going on El?" She learnt against the table and replied

"To get reinstated to the Buero I have to prove I can follow orders and protocol"

"Okay, that's not so b…" she cut me off by saying

"With a special forces CIA Group for 1 year Minimum" I felt my heart stop after she spoke. I went over to the couch and said

"A year. You've got to work for the CIA for a year?" She came and sat next to me, held my hands and said

"Yeah. The team I'll be stationed with call themselves the pack. They work hand-in-hand with Interpol as well as the CIA. They travel across the world tracking down terrorists, murderers, basically anyone on the CIA radar… Each case can last from a couple weeks to a few months, possibly longer"

"When do you have to leave?"

"A week"

"A week!?"

"They wanted me to start Immediately, Hotch managed to get me some time"

"I just got you back and now you have to leave again…

—

" _I fell in love with him. But I don't just stay with him by default as if there's no one else available to me. I stay with him because I choose to, every day that I wake up, every day that we fight or lie to each other or disappoint each other. I choose him over and over again, and he chooses me." ―_ _Veronica Roth_

Once upon a time there was a girl sweet, innocent girl who went through something no one should ever have to go through. The first 5 years of her life were filled with nothing but pain at the hands of her parents. She even lost her twin sister because of them. When that happened the young girl ran in the hope of finding a safe haven.

She bounced around from foster home to foster home, family to family, state to state, changing her last name every few months. As time went on she naturally forgot about her parents and started getting on with her life. She started learning how to defend herself but she learnt it all too late. Before she learnt all of this she was Abused, beaten, sexually assaulted, strangled, just about everything you can think of.

When she was 15 she was placed in a foster home in Vegas. She was happy there, she felt as if she found a home after so long. Whilst in vegas she met an amazing person, named Spencer Reid. he was a child protege nd one of the smartest people you will ever meet. As they got to know each other more, she started falling in love with him but at the time knew nothing could happen. When they met he was with Kally Smith. The three of them became best of friends until Elena was relocated once more. The pair didn't reunite for another few years.

Now, An FBI Supervisory Special Agent, she puts her skills to good use and travel the country saving people and putting other murderers and Psychos in prison. She's died more times than she's entirely happy about but when she gets knocked down, she'll come back stronger every time.

Along time ago she taught herself that you chose your family not who you're related to. Aaron Hotchner, David Rossi, Derek Morgan, Emily Prentiss, Jennifer Jareau, Penelope Garcia and Spencer Reid. These people are family. She'll protect them with everything she's got and she knows they'll do the same. she's been running for 25 years but finally knows who she is and where she belongs

Her name is Elena Miller. She was an FBI agent with the Behavioural Analysis Unit. Now she's on a probationary transfer to the CIA special forces group known as 'The pack'.

 **To be continued…. Book 4 coming soon**


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